Steppe Republic
}} Nation Information The Holy Imperial Federation of the Steppe Republic is a small but growing Imperial Federation of small republics that all look towards the Holy See of the Steppe Republic for guidance, head by the Holy Pope, his Holiness Sergei IV. History Although the federation was formed on the 5th of May in 2008 the roots of the Imperial Federation go back centuries. The first Imperial Pope was inaugurated on the 5th of May 1308. His name was Sergei I and with the help of his cabinet of advisors he formed the First Imperial Papacy, of which there would be three. After his death at the age of 161, the Imperial Papacy collapsed and an age of warlord rule descended on the region. In 1589 after a bloody civil war a particular eccentric warlord rose to power named Vorgy, but after uniting the region he converted to the religion of the Imperial Papacy (Imperial Voodooism) and crowned himself Pope Sergei II. A golden age of art, literature and other culture flourished under his rule until the death of his wife, a duck. He had all culture destroyed, and enforced a brutal new system of law. He had the religion of Imperial Voodooism changed to a cult religion worshipping him as the creator god, and after his death the same system continued under his and his descendants until 1871 when the small kingdom was absorbed into Imperial Russia. Imperial Voodooism was repressed under both Imperial Russia and the Soviet Union. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the region became a group of disunited republics that had split into different ethnic groups under the repressive rule of Sergei II. An energetic politician named Ivan Gorgoravich led a populist movement to reinstate the old Papacy and from 1994-1995 he was known as Pope Sergei III and the republics were united. He was assassinated in 1995 and the republics disunited again, until 2008 when Pope Sergei IV, the son of Gorgoravich, reunited the Holy Imperial Federation by election. Culture Today the Steppe Republic is vibrant with culture. The most popular music is traditional folk electro which originated in the late 1800s and 20s Parisian jazz. Jackson Pollock and vintage Soviet propaganda are the most popular forms of art. In literature post-Potterism and Children's popout books are the most popular. Religion/Government Imperial Voodooism is a mix of Voodoo, Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity, and other polytheistic religions of the region. It is organized into different Church communities, of which there are 5,000, and the head of each community is an Imperial Priest. Church communities are organized into Imperial Dioceses, of which there are 500. The head of each Imperial Diocese is a Imperial High Priest. Imperial Dioceses are organized Imperial High Dioceses, of which there are 50, the head of which is called an Imperial Bishop. Finally the head of the Imperial Bishops is the Imperial Pope. If something happens to the Pope the Imperial Prime-Minister will take his place until the Imperial Bishops have decided on a replacement. Besides the Imperial Prime-Minister the Imperial Pope's cabinet is made up of the Imperial Ministers of Education, Religious Doctrine, Religious Ceremony, Military, and of Foreign Affairs. All Imperial Bishops are elected by the people of the Steppe Republic, and it is the equivalent of a Parliament. In 1927 a radical splinter group from the Imperial Voodooist Underground surfaced called the New Vorgyist movement, and they formed a cult that focused worship on the Vorgy. They are still active in the Steppe Republic and are responsible for terrorist atrocities against the third Papacy.